Arya's (my son) first birthday was fast approaching and we were all very excited. Family, friends, relatives and all around us were enthusiastic about the plans, and were pouring in with ideas for the party, party menu, return gift ideas etc.

My in-laws too planned their travel plans well in advance ' so that they get cheap air fares, plan their itinerary, take leave sanctions etc

A day before Arya's birthday, everyone arrived it was a Sunday, big breakfast, bigger lunch and a small picnic was planned ' we went to the beach and had fun. Arya was too happy ' he loves to be with people.

That night Arya decided to sleep @ 1 am he usually sleeps at 9.30 pm.

Finally, the day of this birthday! All was set. Evening time @ 7 pm. All his friends with gifts had arrived. All of us got ready, Arya wore new clothes, his cousins were excited, the birthday cake had arrived and candle was lit ' we were about to sing the birthday song and cut the cake.

Suddenly, Arya begins to point out in a particular direction we were wondering what was it he wanted to go towards the window and see the view (With every evening meal, Arya likes to look at the western express highway ' the traffic etc which is about 500 mts away from our bedroom window) the birthday party did not matter to him at all!

We did manage to get his attention towards the cake and cut it too! But ultimately his happiness came from seeing view that he generally did.

The happiness that Arya displays while watching the cars, trucks and buses go by and his excitement by seeing different people walk by and talk to him does not compare to the so called party we had planned for him!

Ultimately, I and my hubby were wondering why we do things to please ourselves or others when it's Arya's birthday, why we did not do what he likes to do the most!??

Sudha Shankar

‘No, no, no, no, no, Mamma!’ The voice increased in pitch and I almost jumped out of my skin.

The television remote was in my four-year-old’s hands, and he was pushing it into mine.

Buried as I was in the day’s newspaper, I was not too sure what had happened.

“No, Mamma,” said my son, pointing at the television, where former veejay (he and Ranvir used to be a duo on Channel [V]) and present television actor Vinay Pathak  (you see him as one of the many hosts of The Great Indian Laughter Show) has filled the screen.

It was the bad ad!

FLASHBACK

I reach home from work one day and am told my son has started slapping people. Now, since he generally reasonably well-behaved, this came as a bit of a surprise. Particularly since, when I asked him, he told me it is “good to slap people. They feel happy.”

That weekend, we were watching TV together — it was his favourite channel Pogo — when this ad comes on.

Vinay Pathak, in a rather bad salt and pepper wig, tries to flirt rather tastelessly with a firang girl and she does not understand what he is says. So he pops in a Mango Bite candy and she pops in one and suddenly she can understand his sleazy advances as they make suck candy making these disgusting sucking sounds. She slaps him. He grins away.

SLAP!

My son had just slapped me and was smiling like he had done something funny.

One punishment session and a few long conversations later, he and I have come to the agreement that this ad is bad. And that the TV has to be switched off when it is aired.

And, even when I am not around — sometimes even when I am (as indicated above) — he makes sure that, when the BAD AD comes on, the TV goes off.

BACK TO THE PRESENT

What I don’t understand is this:

We may not be able to stop such a senseless ad from being made or being aired, but why does a television channel meant for children not show any discretion about the ads it airs?

Which idiotic ‘creative’ person came up with this tasteless ad and actually thought it was funny?

Why does someone like Vinay Pathak, who I used to think was intelligent, accept such a disgusting way to endorse a product — in this case a mango-flavoured candy?

And who on earth would buy candy that actually, at least far as an ad goes, gets you slapped?

If they really think, this ad has some kind of ‘humour’ or ’stickiness’ when it come to remembering the product, they need to think again. I know it reminds me never to buy the product again even though I like it.

As a woman, I found the ad degrading.

As a mother, it leads me to worry even more about the influences my child is being exposed to.

Is it too much to expect intelligent adults to exercise a small amount of self-censorship? For ourselves? For society? For our children? Or is the call of money too irresistible?

– Mommy At Work